Friday July 10, 2020

Today’s Reading: Numbers 9:15-23

They camped at the Lord’s command, and they set out at the Lord’s command. They carried out the Lord’s requirement according to His command through Moses.

Numbers 9:23

Meditation: God guides His people to a destination He has prepared for them. Journeying through the wilderness to the Promised Land, the Israelites move according to the LORD’s command. As they travel, God’s Glory, His Presence with them, is seen in the form of a cloud by day and fire by night. As the Presence of God rests over the Tabernacle, the Israelites camp at that very spot. Whenever the cloud lifts from the Tabernacle, the Israelites set out to travel. In order to obey the LORD’s command, the Israelites must seek His direction and follow it. This becomes a daily practice for them, which leads them to the destination that God has set before them.

What a wondrous thing to think about: that God’s constant Presence was experienced by the Israelites in this way! What a respite His Presence must have been during the day, as a cloud of shelter in the midst of the desert heat. By night, what a comfort it must have been to see His light shining in the darkness. God drew near to His people, and they obeyed Him because they believed in Him. They believed that He was faithful to bring them to the place He had prepared. On the way to the Promised Land, His Presence was what they needed to endure the journey.

The Presence of God is still what we need everyday, and can still be experienced everyday. Even now, the LORD remains a respite and refuge when we undergo experiences that test our limits. When lost in the darkness of despair or uncertainty, His Presence lights the path He sets before us. Our daily walk and ongoing journey through life has a destination waiting for us, which we reach by simply following the guidance of God through Jesus. Just as He led the Israelites to a place to call home, He through His Son prepares an everlasting place for us to dwell with Him. Our surest direction, greatest comfort, and everlasting hope come from the Presence of the Lord.

Prayer: Loving God, who am I to experience Your Presence? Thank You for Your nearness to me, for Your comfort and Your faithfulness. I pray that You would help me to trust in Your leading. I pray that You would remind me to seek Your guidance one very step of my journey with You, that I would follow You into life everlasting. In Jesus’ Name I pray, AMEN.

Thru the Bible in a year (credit: Biblestudytools.com): Matthew 19:1-15; Numbers 9-10; Ecclesiastes 7